Launch vehicles are expensive. Recovery and reuse of spacecraft and launch vehicles has been an objective for decades. However, the economics of spacecraft and launch vehicle recovery are significant and daunting. NASA's space shuttle is regarded as the first recoverable and reusable spacecraft. Unfortunately, the anticipated savings from reuse did not materialize. Ironically, the space shuttle was retired from service and replaced by one-time use spacecraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,834,859, assigned to Northrup Grumman Corporation is directed to a process for recovering a spacecraft first stage. The first stage carries a second stage into space. At a predetermined point, the second stage separates from the first stage and continues on its mission. The first stage engines cease operating, and the first stage falls a substantial distance towards Earth. At this point, the main engines of the first stage reignite and propel the first stage to a distance from Earth greater than the point of separation from the first stage. At this higher elevation, the propellant in the first stage is primarily depleted, the engines are turned off, and the first stage is guided, without power, to land at the launch site. Extra fuel is required to complete this process, adding additional weight to the initial launch.
More recently, SpaceX Corporation has shown it is possible to recover the first stage of a launch vehicle. More specifically, the Falcon 9 provides a controlled recovery of the first stage. Using control systems, including engines, requisite fuel and guidance, the first stage may be guided under power to a land or ship-based landing. While savings are expected from the ability to reuse the first stage, there are added expenses in the cost of the additional systems, including propellant and guidance hardware, that must be carried into space as part of the initial launch in order to be able to recover the first stage for subsequent uses.